


Elaventon

by vixevilcat7



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Revenge, True Love, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:42:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixevilcat7/pseuds/vixevilcat7
Summary: A witchs curse on a small town. A young couple in love. Can they break the curse?A/N: All warnings are ONLY for the prologue! Every warning happens in the prologue!
Relationships: harmione rose garrison/finigan o'malley
Kudos: 1
Collections: vixevilcat7





	1. Chapter 1

The Curse: Prologue 

"You animals! Get away from them! Leave her alone! She's just a baby! Get away from her!" Hazel Grainger screamed desperately. She wasn't worried about herself. She was strong enough to deal with the pain and the horror. But her girls! She would take all the humiliation in the world to keep her girls from seeing the dark side of life. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

She thought of her youngest girl. 'Please, please let Hermione sleep through this!' Their home was right on a common route so SOMEONE would be through tomorrow. Maybe they would hear the baby crying. 'Please dear god, someone keep her youngest baby safe from these animals! Please don't let her die!'

In front of her, the men laughed as they continued to assault her girls. Both of her older babies had been dragged out of the house and accused. They weren't the witches, she was the only witch in the family. They would regret making her girls suffer!

Off to the side was the smarmy bastard who had caused this to happen. He and his friends laughed as his father made the witch and her daughters regret ever moving to this town. The little hussy of a daughter had tried to bewitch him into setting down. He was nowhere near ready to settle into married life, much less having kids, god forbid!

Consuela cried as she realized the mistake she'd made. She'd loved him deeply and thought he loved her, too. Now her mother and sister were paying the price of her own stupidity. Why, god, why had she ever shown any interest in him, much less allowed herself to dream of a family and future with him?

Candita, little baby Candy, was screaming in pain and fear as the men surrounded her, ripping her dress off and slapping her around. Then they threw her to the ground.

<"No!" Now Connie and Hazel both were screaming at the men. Anything to get them away from Candy! Her little sister was entirely too young to have to go through this ordeal.

Now HE joined in on the fun. He was the first one on top of her little sister. They watched in helpless anger and hatred as he and his friends put Candy through a living hell.

When they were done, they dragged them over to tall stakes, driven into the ground. As she was tied, the woman laughed harshly. "You bastards! You will regret your actions this day! A curse! A curse on your town, your families! Your daughters will all die on their 11th birthday, never knowing the joy of growing up. Your unmarried sons will all perish on their 21st birthday."

She looked at the mayor and his son, the instigators of this whole horrifying situation. "Your descendants, in particular, will die a horrific death until they find true love. They won't do that until one of your descendants finds one of my descendants! They may marry and even fall in love but if she isn't descended from me, your sons will still die!"

The two men shuddered involuntarily at the stiff wind that seemed to hit them. They stared at the witch and tried to pretend that her words didn't cause them an ounce of fear. The mayor, Bronson O'Malley, took a torch, lit it up and tossed it onto the wood surrounding Hazel. His son, Finigan, lit up Consuela's stack of wood. They almost changed their minds and decided to keep little Candy until she spat at them. Then they both lit up her stack of wood. They backed away and watched in horrified fascination as the girls screamed until they passed out. The mother, though, laughed and cursed them until she slumped over dead.


	2. After the Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER! TRIGGER! TRIGGER! MIND THE WARNINGS! 
> 
> Repeated references to the prologue and Candy in particular! Finigan is DEFINITELY NOT a nice guy!

The men watched as the flames shot high into the sky. Now they knew how the people of Salem had felt during the Salem witch trials, watching the wicked burn to a crisp. They all talked a few more minutes, then decided to call it a night. The fires would go out on their own. They'd made sure to pick ground already scorched to put the stakes up at. Mayor O'Malley and his son, Finigan, went back to town, still uneasy about Hazel's last words. The rest of the men went home to their farms and ranches, trying to forget the final words of a woman who had claimed to be a witch. They shuddered inside at the witch's claim of putting a curse on the town and their families. 

Lucille and Elise O'Malley were in the sitting room. Elise was reading and Lucille was working on a needlepoint design. It wasn't like both Finigan and his father to disappear like this. She wondered what they had been doing. They looked up and wrinkled their noses at the burnt, smoky smell that still clung to the men. 

"Been playing with fire, have you? You best wash that off if you're expecting to lay down on MY clean sheets! Both of you!" she snapped. 'Land sakes, those men! How those two had survived before she married Bronson, she had no clue!' She watched uneasily as her stepson grinned devilishly at her. He was going to be 21 soon. Elise would be 11 in another month or two. Ever since she could remember, she'd been uneasy around him. He was bigger than his father and just bigger than everyone, really. 

"Yes, dear." Bronson looked at his son and nodded to the staircase. He followed Finigan up the stairs. He went toward the washroom he shared with Lucille. He was surprised when Fin went straight past his to his own room. 

"Finigan, you heard your mother! Wash off before you lay down." He barked at the young man. The young man turned and smiled arrogantly.

"MOTHER need not worry, dad. I'm going out. Also, she's not my mom." Finigan laughed. Bronson blew out a hefty sigh. He hated that Lucille was uncomfortable around Fin. He hated even more the thought that possibly Fin didn't try to make he feel comfortable.

"Where, pray tell? I do hope you know to not say anything about tonight, about what we did!" the mayor stared worriedly at his son. They couldn't afford for news of this magnitude to get out. If people thought this town was cursed, they'd start jumping ship so fast, there would be nobody left but the elderly. 

"Of course, I won't say anything. You think I want to get strung up for killing a 'witch' and her little 'witchlings'? I'm going to the saloon, of course. Missy should be working tonight!" he smiled in anticipation of seeing his favorite saloon girl. 

"Already? Don't you want to, at least, wait a couple of days? What will people think, knowing you were courting her? I must say, Finigan, you don't seem too torn up over that young woman. Why is that? Why did you seem more inclined towards the little girl? You were the first one on top of the child." Bronson said suspiciously.

"Well, now you don't have to worry about either of them, dad. She thought we were engaged. I never actually asked her to marry me, you know. The child was cute." Finigan shrugged. 

"What do you mean, 'she thought'? So, you and the older girl were never engaged? She tricked you, you said. She told you she was in the 'family way'." Bronson insisted. He clearly remembered Finigan ranting about this! Now he was changing his story?

"Dad, honestly, I never wanted to marry the girl. I just wanted to get closer to her because of her little sister. The little thing was cute. Couldn't have someone else getting her first." Finigan grinned mockingly at his dad.

Bronson wore a look of horror. "What? What do-? Finigan? Tell me we did NOT kill an innocent young woman and her mother, just so you could get to the little girl! Tell me that's not what this was! Damn it, Finigan! Do you realize, if ANYONE finds out about this, it could ruin this town? Nobody will want to live here! If your mother and sister, hell if any of the wives and daughters knew about what we did, they'd leave! All of them. Just pack up and leave!" he gritted, angry at himself for so stupidly believing the lies his son had told. 

Finigan shrugged, unconcerned. 'After all, he'd gotten what HE wanted out of the whole deal, little Candy's first time! And, damn, what a ride she'd given him! It'd been so good he'd had to go back for a second ride!' Relishing the memories of her little whimper when he'd pushed into her that first time kept him smiling as he changed out of his smoky clothes. He ignored the little twinge at the back of his mind that said he might regret what he'd done. 

He left the house and headed to his favorite saloon. He bounded up the steps and tapped at the door of the second floor room. As he was bid to enter, he opened the door and went straight to the window. He could still vaguely see the fires in the distance. 'Damn, he wished he'd been able to keep little Candy. He'd have kept her here at the saloon, reserved only for him! He'd have treated her good!' 

He turned around and faced Missy. She was the youngest working girl at the saloon and everyone knew she was his. She was a few years younger than Consuela but older than Candy. He strutted towards her, a menacing look on his face. Missy swallowed hard. She knew what that look meant. He was thinking of that little girl again. He was going to want to tie her up. She'd have to beg and plead for him to stop. He'd forget himself and call her THAT NAME! Candy! She hated these nights. She much preferred it when he was in the mood for HER! 

The other patrons of the bar just flicked a brow at the now familiar screams and cries coming from Missy's room. Why the boy found so much pleasure calling her the wrong name and roughing her up, they didn't know. Just like they didn't know why Missy didn't just tell him NO.

The next day, Elise was walking to school. She'd be at Candy's soon. Sometimes Candy's mom would give them a bit of a treat for the walk to school. She stopped when she smelled the smoke. This was what she'd also smelt last night when daddy and Fin came in! She went into Candy's yard. The smell was getting stronger. 

Suddenly she stopped. She was staring at a pool of fabric on the ground. Was that-? Surely not! She saw another pile and yet another. She turned, looked up and screamed in terror. There were the three stakes and burned to a crisp on each one was a body. Elise didn't need anyone to tell her who those three bodies were, not after she'd already recognized the dresses! 

"Mommy!" she ran out of the yard and raced back home, screaming hysterically, over and over. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Mommy!"

Just as she reached her front door, her older brother Finigan was also heading for the door. He sneered at her. "Move, brat!" she stopped short, suddenly afraid of him. Candy had never liked being around him. 'I don't like how he stares at me.' She'd said to Elise. She waited until he was headed up the stairs before she slipped into the dining room. 

"Elise, darling, why aren't you at school, darling?" Lucille asked. Her father was at the other end of the table, reading the newspaper. He snapped the paper down and stared at her. 

"Mommy, there's something wrong. Over at Candy's house. Please, come on!" Elise begged, oblivious to the sudden jerk of his body. 

"All right, child. Calm down. I need to go see Hazel anyway." Lucille rose from the table. 

"Um, dear, maybe she's just not feeling well. It might be better to wait until another day. Why don't we keep Elise home today? She seems quite upset." Bronson spoke quickly, trying to keep his wife away from THAT PLACE. Lucille frowned at him. 

"Dear, if she's not feeling well, then I really need to go visit. She'll need me to check on the girls."

Finigan walked in and picked up a biscuit from the platter. "What's going on? Did I miss anything?" he stared at his father, then Lucille. She frowned at him. His father sighed, knowing he wasn't going to dissuade her from going. 

"Come, Elise. I have a basket of thread she was wanting to see." Lucille picked up a basket, set it over her arm and walked out with her daughter.

"What WAS that about, father? DID I miss something?" Finigan asked, curious now. Bronson rubbed his face. 

"Your mother is going to visit HAZEL. Your sister came running in, telling her something was wrong at Candy's house. Damn, I forgot Lucille was best friends with her growing up. They were practically sisters." He jumped up and began pacing. 

"And this is bad?" Finigan asked. Bronson spun around, looking at him incredulously. 'Did Fin really need this explained to him?!'

"Fin, we BURNED her last night! And her two daughters! Do you honestly think Lucille's not going to connect how we smelt last night to what she's going to smell when she gets over there? Think, boy! I know you have a brain in there!" he growled at his son, still angry at falling for his lies. 

"So what? She won't say anything. Just make sure she keeps her stupid mouth shut! Oh, I forgot! You don't like to threaten her. She might leave, like mom did." Fin jeered at his dad. 

"Don't talk about her like that! She's been good to you! A lot better than most women would have been!" Bronson yelled at him. Fin curled his lip at him and sat down, deliberately scraping the chair on the wooden floor. Bronson resumed his anxious pacing. 

Lucille followed quickly after her daughter. "Elise, sweetheart, slow down. We'll go in and check on Hazel and the baby. Then you and Candy-." She stopped as soon as she smelt the smoke. She looked down at Elise's teary eyes and gasped. She ran on down and into the yard. "Oh! Oh! Oh no! No! No! Hazel!" Elise pointed at the stakes. Lucille gasped as her chest seemed to close up. 'No! No! Dear God! No!' She took in the three stakes, then her eyes widened as she spotted the torn dresses and undergarments. "No! No! God, no!" 

A thin wail seemed to cut through the air. "Hermione! Hermione!" Lucille rushed into the house and threw back the curtain at the very back of the room. Behind it stood a small crib. There, swaddled in a fuzzy pink blanket, was a tiny baby girl, with fuzzy brown hair. 

Lucille scooped her up in relief, hugging her close as she kissed her forehead. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! Your mommy is dead. I'm so sorry, baby!" Remembering how her husband and stepson had smelt when they came back home last night, she suddenly knew who had killed her friend. "They'll pay, baby girl, I'll make sure they pay!"

"Don't." came a faint whisper from behind her. "They've already been given their punishment." She whirled and almost screamed. The faint outline of Hazel stood in front of her. 

"Hazel? Is that you?" she asked quietly. "What do you mean 'they've already been given their punishment'?"

"I'm sorry, Lucille. I was so angry I forgot about Elise. There is, however, a way to save her. I cursed the town last night. All the girls will die on their 11th birthday and all the boys will die on their 21st birthday. Unless they are married. All except young Finigan. He will die a horrific death on his 21st birthday, even if he is married. Unless, of course, he is married to one of MY children. He helped rape and kill Consuela and Candita and Hermione is just a baby. He is doomed. But Elise can be saved!" Hazel said urgently.

"Saved? Cursed? Hazel, what, what happened last night?" Lucille asked, struggling to understand, not caring in the least that she was talking to a ghost. 

"Your husband and stepson came here last night. They had a group of their friends with them. Finigan had lied to them about Consuela. They dragged me, Connie and Candy out of the house. Hermione was asleep. Thank god, she slept through the whole thing. Else they would have killed her, too! They accused Connie and Candy of witchcraft! They proceeded to rape all of us. Then they tied us to the stakes. Lucille, watch your daughter around young Finigan. He was the first one to attack Candy last night!" Hazel looked angry for a brief moment." He has a child on the way, a child he knows nothing about. A young saloon girl, Missy, is about to leave town. She's carrying his child!" 

Hazel looked at Lucille fondly. "Now I will tell YOU the loopholes around this curse. Listen closely, my sister. The curse is ONLY on Elaventon! If you send Elise away before her 11th birthday, she will survive BUT she can never come back to town or she will die! The same goes for the young men, even young Finigan if he has the sense to get out of town! Any child who is born and raised here will die on her 11th birthday. Any young man will die on his 21st birthday, unless he marries. That is the only way the young men can survive the curse. Except Finigan's children. There can be young men in town, but only if they are strangers who move into town. That also goes for the girls. If any of young Finigan's children are in town, the girls will die at 11. The boys will die horrifically at 21. In this case, the sins of the father WILL be visited upon the children!"

"Bronson won't let me send her away. I know he won't! He won't believe there's a curse until he sees all the dead children." Lucille held little Hermione close to her. 

Hazel looked sadly at her baby. "You must save my baby, Lucille. The curse will even touch her. Please, Lucille, if this curse is ever to end, she must live. Finigan's child must also live. Their descendants are how this curse will end. They must fall in love and marry by his 21st birthday." With those final words, Hazel faded out of sight. Lucille sank to the floor, clutching the baby and sobbing brokenheartedly. 

Elise was sitting in front of the stake holding the smallest body. "Candy? I'm sorry. I don't know what happened last night, but I think my dad and stepbrother had something to do with it." She felt a small cool touch on her cheek. She turned and saw Candy. She was just a vague outline. She was smiling at Elise. Elise began crying as she apologized over and over. Finally she looked up again. Candy touched her cheek again. "Be careful around Finigan. Never be alone with him." With that small ghostly whispered warning, Candy vanished. 

Elise and Lucille stayed that whole day at Hazel's house. They packed up every little garment they could find that would fit little Hermione. Lucille made Elise swear she wouldn't tell anyone about Hermione or Missy's baby. Lucille knew she needed to help the girl. Both to end the curse and just to help her escape the clutches of Finigan. They waited until dark, then slipped into town to the orphanage. Lucille had emptied out her thread basket and put the baby in it. They sat her on the steps, knocked on the door and faded into the shadows. 

The door opened and the matron stepped out, bumping the basket. It jolted Hermione awake and she started crying. The matron gasped and looked down. "Oh! You poor little thing! Why, where are your parents? Oh! Come here, Marty won't let you go hungry! Let's find you some milk, yeah?" she reached down, picked up the baby and snuggled her into her shoulder. "You're a pretty little thing! You'll be adopted in no time at all, sweetie. People love pretty babies!" 

"Elise, you're going to have a little sister. Is that alright with you?" Lucille looked down at her daughter. Elise smiled as she hugged her mother and wiped away her tears. 

Bronson looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost nine o'clock at night. He'd stayed home for as long as he could but the mayor couldn't put off his duties forever. He'd reluctantly left Fin there at the house. The boy had only just come in from carousing about all night. He'd no doubt go to bed and sleep the rest of the day. He just wished he knew where Lucille and Elise were and how they'd reacted at the dead woman's house. Finally they came walking through the door, acting as if nothing had happened. 

"Dear, are, uh, are you ok?" Bronson asked Lucille. She looked at him steadily. He could normally tell if she was happy or sad but not now. There was nothing. It unnerved him. 

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't be ok, darling?" she asked him in return. She waited to see if he would admit it, the terrible thing he and Finigan had done last night. Maybe, just maybe, she could let him work off his forgiveness but only if he admitted his guilt! 

"Oh, uh, no reason, I just, well, you left and stayed gone. I was just worried about you, that's all." The mayor stammered. 

"Daddy, daddy. Guess what? I told mommy I wanted a little sister. She said we could if you said yes! Please, daddy, please! Can I have a new little sister, please?" Elise begged, just as Lucille had instructed her to. 

"A new-? What? Lucille?" he asked, bewildered. Lucille smiled coolly. Tomorrow, Hermione. The next day, she'd help Missy escape but only if Missy agreed to let her help support and stay in contact with Finigan's child. 

"Please, daddy, please!" Elise hugged him tightly. He looked down at her and melted. He just couldn't deny his baby girl anything. 'If she wanted a little sister, by god, she'd have a little sister!' He ruffled her hair. "Of course, you can have a baby sister, darling."

Elise and Lucille shared a secret smile. 'If only he knew what they knew!'


	3. Circumventing the curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucille is desperate to save her child. Hazel attempts to help from the afterlife. It all hinges on Finigan.

The next morning, Bronson and Lucille were seated at the dining room table. Neither Fin nor Elise were up yet. Bronson was watching his wife warily. She was sitting there, calmly composed. 

"All right, Lucille. What's going on? What's all this about a new sister? Are, are you expecting again?" Bronson asked her. 

"Of course not. You know I almost died trying to deliver Elise. If not for Hazel," Here she stopped talking and gave him a long look, "I WOULD have died!" 

"So, we're finally going to talk about Hazel." he said slowly. 

"No. I already know what happened. You and Fin stinking of smoke and burnt flesh? Elise finding them the next morning, burnt to a crisp and their clothes lying on the ground? How could I NOT know what you did?" she snapped. "You realize that half the women in this town are alive today because of her. Now, who will keep them alive during childbirth?"

"We have Doc Reilly." he started defensively. She laughed derisively at him.

'Doc Reilly? Doc Reilly! The man is the town drunk, Bronson! He kills more people than he helps. He MIGHT be useful, IF you can ever catch him sober!" she seethed. "Please, for the love of god, why did you do that? Tell me there was a good reason! Why? Why did you kill them? Why, Bronson, why?"

Bronson sighed, rubbing his temples. There WAS no good reason for their actions and he knew it. Finigan had outright lied about the young woman and he had stupidly believed the boy. Then they got there and dragged them out of the house. The situation went from bad to worse. Now he was paying the price. There was no going back. No way to bring Hazel or her daughters back. They could only figure out where to go from here. 

"For what it's worth, I wish we'd never done it. But I can't take it back. I'm sorry but I can't. There is no excuse for what happened. I know that. I can't blame you for being angry with me but-." he tried to say. 

"Oh, I am more than angry with you! She was more than just my friend, Bronson, we grew up as sisters! Can you understand that! You didn't just destroy my friend! You destroyed my sister! This is unforgivable! You. Murdered. My. Sister! I hate you! It doesn't matter what you do from now on! There is no forgiving this!" she snarled. 

"There is nothing, NOTHING you can do to make this up to me. But you still have your daughter. You WILL do whatever it takes to make her happy! Now, we are going to adopt a little girl so Elise can have a little sister! Make it happen, Bronson!" she told him heatedly. 

He sighed heavily. He'd known it wouldn't be good when she realized the situation with Hazel. He had a feeling making Elise happy was as good as it was going to be from now on. "Ok. If Elise wants a baby sister, we'll adopt a baby girl. Anything else, dear?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know, DEAR!" she smiled sweetly at him. 

Just then, Elise ran into the dining room. Finigan followed about a minute later. Lucille watched him closely. She was pleased when he seemed to completely ignore Elise, as usual. Since the day she'd had the child, she'd never known Finigan to do more than snarl and kick at her once in a while. Of course, she'd never known him to rape an 11 year old, either. But that had happened now. She'd just keep a close eye on him and keep Elise close to her from now on. 

"Elise, guess what? You don't have to go to school today! Daddy is taking us down to the orphanage to find you a baby sister! Isn't that great?" she asked her daughter. 

"OH! Thank you, daddy, thank you! Can I name her, mommy?" Elise asked.

"Well, darling, she might already have a name. If she doesn't, of course you can!" Lucille told her. Fin rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. 

"What was that, Finigan?" his father asked sharply. He'd not have Finigan upsetting Lucille any more than she already was! 

Finigan looked defiantly at his father. "I SAID, father, 'oh great! Another squalling, little brat around here!' Am I expected to let THIS ONE hang off my boot heels as well?" 

"As a matter of fact, Finigan, yes! Yes, you are! If Elise and the new baby want to hang out with you, you will damned well hang out with them! No ifs, ands, or buts!" Bronson said hotly. Fin curled his lip in distaste and started to stand up.

“Sit down! You have NOT been excused!” Bronson growled at his son. Elise looked like she was about to cry. Up until now, Elise had always looked up to Finigan even though he’d paid her very little attention. He was more apt to snap at her as he had yesterday morning than he was to smile and play with her. “Apologize to your sister!”

Finigan sat back down but stubbornly refused to speak. After realizing no apology was forthcoming, they all continued with the awkward family breakfast. When the meal was over, he slammed back his chair and stormed out of the room. Bronson sighed and rubbed his face. ‘What was he going to do about that boy?!’

Lucille felt the calming presence of Hazel by her side. “You may be able to circumvent the curse, Lucille. But it will all hinge on young Finigan. If he can learn to love someone besides himself, I can help you lift the curse. If not, the curse stands. I’ll observe him a few days, then explain what could happen.” She faded away again. Lucille closed her eyes and prayed that it could really be that simple. 

“All right. Are you ready, Elise?” she asked. Elise was already jumping up and down excitedly. The mayor stood up to follow them out. As they left the dining room and headed for the front door, Lucille looked up in time to see Finigan standing on the landing above them. His eyes were fixed, in anger, on his little sister. Lucille shivered with sudden fear, vowing again to keep Elise away from him as much as possible.

They walked down the street. Soon they were close to the home shared by Hazel and her daughters. It hadn’t garnered too much attention yesterday but today there was a huge crowd of townsfolk standing there. The shock and fear on their faces was heartbreaking to see, especially all the expectant mothers who had their hands clasped around their rounded tummys. Lucille was shocked to see young Missy at the front of the crowd, one hand against her stomach, the other over her mouth. ‘So, Hazel was right about the girl!’ It made Lucille even more determined to help the girl get away from him! 

Bronson walked to the front of the crowd. “Nothing to see here, folks! Go about your business! Let’s get moving now!” the husbands shepherded their reluctant wives away and led them on down the street. He turned to see Lucille staring at him venomously. “Hate me all you want, dear, but I refuse to cause a panic. Especially when there’s no need for one.”

“You still believe that? I hope you can bring yourself to believe it when your son and daughter both are died and buried!” she hissed at him. 

“There is no curse! The woman was NOT a witch! Get that through your head, Lucille! She might have been brought up as a gypsy but she wasn’t a witch. Even they knew that or they wouldn’t have abandoned her here in the first place!” he gritted at her. 

Lucille gasped and slapped him. “Never talk about her like that! Ever again! You know what you want to know. I know the truth of her!” she turned and walked away. As she passed Missy, she reached out and pressed a hand to the girl’s shoulder. The girl looked at her, seeing a possible ally. She smiled a teary smile, bobbed her head, dropped a quick curtsy and hurried away. The mayor watched them closely. 

Lucille stopped and looked back. “The orphanage, dearest? Or have you forgotten already?” she turned, took Elise’s hand and sauntered on down the street. The mayor hurried after them, taking a quick glance back at the three stakes in the yard.

They walked into the orphanage. The same woman Lucille and Elise had watched pick up the baby last night, came hurrying to greet them. She was a friendly woman with a big smile. All the children seemed to love her as they snuggled up to her for a quick hug before leaving for school and playtime. 

“Mayor O’Malley, Mrs. O’Malley. How can I help you today?” Marty Williams, the matron of the orphanage, asked them. She had run the orphanage for years and they had always donated generously. This was the first time, however, they had shown up in person. 

“We’re thinking about adopting a baby, a girl. My daughter wishes to have a little sister.” Mayor O’Malley announced. Elise, in the meantime, had wandered around and found the cribs. She was peeping at all the babies. Most of them were asleep. In the very last crib, she found the baby. She turned and looked at her mother. 

“May I look at the babies?” Mrs. O’Malley asked politely. Mrs. Williams smiled and waved her hand toward the babies. She saw the little girl standing beside the crib and figured she’d already found the little sister she wanted. 

“Well, Elise. What have we here?” Lucille looked down at Hazel’s baby girl. Elise was reaching in and the baby was reaching up, curling her tiny hand around Elise’s finger. 

Bronson walked up behind them, peering down at the baby they had found. “She’s a pretty little thing, I suppose. Is this the sister you went, Elise?”

Elise nodded. “Yes, daddy, please? She is pretty, isn’t she?” the mayor looked down at her again. 

“Well, if you’re sure this is the baby sister you want, I think your mother and I have some paperwork to get started.” He took Lucille’s arm and led her back to the matron’s office. “Well, is the child acceptable to you, dear?”

“Yes. She’s perfect.” Lucille smiled smugly. It was working out exactly how she’d hoped it would. Now to help Missy and see if there was a way to circumvent this curse. They sat down and filled out paperwork as Elise played with the baby. 

“Elise, she doesn’t have a name. Did you still want to name her, dear?” Lucille called. Elise gently lifted the baby into her arms and carried her into the office. 

“Yes, mommy. I know just what I want to call her. Remember that play you told me about that time, the one your parents took you to?” she asked. 

“Ah, yes. The Shakespearean play they took me to.” Lucille nodded at her.

“Yes, you told me there was a girl named Hermione in the play. That’s what I want to call her. Hermione Rose. Is that a good name, mommy, daddy?” Elise looked between them. 

“That’s a lovely name, sweetheart.” Lucille brushed her fingers through the soft, fluffy hair of the baby. 

“Hermione Rose, hmm? Hermione Rose O’Malley. Unusual but it works, I suppose. Yeah, that’s a lovely name, Elise.” Bronson signed the last page of the forms and handed them to the matron. She smiled and stood as they shook hands with her. She kissed baby Hermione on the forehead. Then they left with Lucille carrying the baby. 

Once they got home, Bronson went upstairs to Finigan’s room. He knocked on the door. “Go away, dad.” He heard from inside. 

“Open up, Finigan. You’re going to meet the child sooner or later. Might as well be now. Come on down and meet the newest O’Malley.” Bronson said through the door. He heard a thump from inside. Then the door opened and Finigan stood there, glowering at him. “C’mon, son. It won’t be so bad. She’s a pretty little thing.”

Fin followed his father downstairs. He knew this whole ‘meeting the baby’ thing had to be his father’s bright idea. He didn’t hate Lucille but he didn’t much like her, either. He knew the woman could tell it, too. He also knew that after yesterday, she really didn’t want him close to Elise. He’d seen her watching him every time he got close to the girl. He could just imagine how thrilled she was going to be now. 

“I don’t like it, Hazel. What if he tries to hurt her?” Lucille whispered quietly. She was seated in a rocking chair, holding Hermione. Elise was on the foot stool in front of her. They were both watching the door warily. 

“He won’t dare. Not with his father watching. Just always make sure Bronson is watching whenever you hand him the baby.” Hazel said quietly. 

The door opened and Bronson walked in, followed by his towering, burly son. He led him to the rocking chair and plucked the baby from Lucille’s arms. He turned and handed her to Fin. He looked down at the child, curling his arms around her, and rolled his eyes. “Ok, I’ve held her. I thought you were just introducing me to her, not forcing me to hold her.”

“Sit down, Fin. Right there.” He indicated for him to share the footstool with Elise. She was huddled against her mother’s legs. Fin sighed and sat down. He laid the little girl on his legs and held her arms. She laid there quietly. 

“How old is she?” he asked. The baby popped her eyes open at his question. 

“Dear, did the matron say how old she was?” Bronson asked Lucille. 

“I don’t believe she did but it should be on the paperwork. They can’t let us adopt her without a birth date.” Lucille told him. He took out their copy of the papers. 

“It says here, well, well, darling. According to these dates, she is barely a month old. We really struck it lucky with a baby sister, didn’t we, Elise?” he asked his daughter. She smiled and nodded. 

“Ok. Have I held her long enough? Now can I give her back?” Fin asked after his fifth time of glancing at the clock on the wall. 

“What’s your hurry, son? You were literally just laying down when I came up to get you. Is there somewhere you need to be more than here, with your family?” Bronson frowned sternly at him. 

Fin glared at him, his hands tightening around the baby’s arms. Hermione whimpered and he loosened his grip immediately. He looked at her arms, then seemed struck by how small she was in relation to his hand. He slid a hand under her back and sat her up, supporting her head with the other one. She reached up and laid both hands on his chin. Then she fell forward against him, put one fist in her mouth and started whimpering again. She rooted against him.

“Uh, I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure the little thing wants some food I’m not equipped to give her. Now can I please pass her off to someone?” Fin asked, holding her away from him. She let out a hungry little wail as she stuffed her fist back in her mouth. Lucille leaned forward and took the child. 

As soon as Hermione was out of his hands, Fin shot across the room and was gone before they could say anything else to him. Bronson shrugged at Lucille. Frankly, he was surprised that he’d managed to keep Fin still that long. 

Fin left the house before they could catch up and make him play ‘family time’ again. He had to admit, though, the little girl had been cute. Her dark fluff of hair had reminded him of both Consuela and Candita. He decided to head on down and see if Missy was working tonight.

He walked in and looked up at the second floor. Missy was standing at the railing, looking down at the crowd. He started up the stairs. She waited until he reached her. He pulled her against him and backed her into her room. 

Missy could tell it was her he wanted tonight. It was times like this that made her question whether she really wanted to get away from him. But she knew sooner or later, he’d get rough again. He always knew when he had pushed her to her breaking point. There was only so many times she could handle being called the wrong name and tied down and roughed up. He always apologized and made it up to her the next day. But they both knew it was getting old. Almost as if he knew she was getting ready to run, Fin was immensely tender with her that night. It almost felt like he was saying goodbye.

That night, Hazel laid little Hermione into her crib. She herself had moved into a room next to Elise. Hermione’s crib was set up in Elise’s room. She tucked Elise in and read her a bedtime story. Then she went out and retired to her room. 

After they had all gone to bed for the night, Fin returned home. Normally, he stayed the entire night with Missy. Tonight, though, he wasn’t in the mood to stay with her. As he climbed the stairs, he thought he heard something. As he reached the landing, he heard it again. ‘Oh, great! The little brat they’d adopted was about to start screaming her bratty, little head off!’

He stopped outside the door to his little sister’s room. ‘Should he check on the brat? Mama bear Lucille would go off the deep end if she caught him in Elise’s room, of that he had no doubt! Hell with it, if she didn’t want him in there, she’d learn to keep the little tiny brat with her!’ 

He opened the door and walked over to the crib. Looking down at the kid, she was squirming around, her little mouth forming a pout. ‘She really did look like Consuela and Candy!’ he reached down, tapping her cheek. She immediately latched onto his finger with both hands. Feeling the strength in those tiny hands, he knew he wasn’t getting loose until she fell sleep again. There was a chair beside the crib. He sat down and leaned against the crib, his finger still held captive by the infant. Before long, he was sound asleep. 

Elise woke up the next morning. Opening her eyes, she gasped in fear. Finigan was in her room! Then she looked closer. He was asleep. She crept out of bed and approached the other side of the crib. He had an arm draped inside and Hermione, her precious little sister, had him held hostage. She held his big finger between her little hands. 

Lucille opened the door to check on Elise and the baby and came up on a sight that, at first, paralyzed her with fear. Elise turned and put a finger over her lips. She motioned her mother closer. Finigan had apparently decided to check out the baby some more and had fallen asleep at Hermione’s bedside! She was basically now hugging his hand as she slept quietly. 

“Well. I wouldn’t have believed it from his actions the other night but maybe, just maybe, there is hope for young Finigan after all.” Hazel quietly intoned beside her. 

Lucille motioned Elise out of the room. She was taking a chance, she knew, but Hazel seemed sure. They went downstairs to the dining room. Bronson looked up at them. “Where’s the baby?”

“She’s still asleep. Finigan will bring her down with him, I’m sure.” Lucille replied. Bronson narrowed his eyes. Yesterday it was evident that she would not allow Elise anywhere near her brother. ‘Now she was trusting him with the newly adopted baby girl?’

A few minutes later, it became clear why she’d done it. Finigan, his hair still messed up and wearing the same clothes he’d worn yesterday, came in holding the baby tenderly. Bronson couldn’t believe it. This was entirely different behavior than he’d shown when Elise was a baby! It was like he was looking at an entirely different boy!

“Finigan? Good morning.” He greeted him tentatively, not wanting to spoil this moment. 

“Good morning, father.” Fin returned the greeting absently. “She’s so little. Look, I can almost hold her in just my hands!” They watched as he paid absolutely no attention to the food on the table. Instead he was completely immersed in holding the baby. Her eyes were open and she was looking back at him. Her tiny hands were resting on his chin and jaw. Elise watched him, proudly but also a little jealously. She couldn’t remember him ever looking at her like that. 

“We need to think about sending Elise to school, dear. There’s a very good boarding school near your sister. Elise won’t even have to worry about staying at the school. You know your sister would be thrilled to have her.” Lucille told Bronson. As expected, Bronson was already shaking his head no. “Why not? She needs more education than a one room classroom can give her. I know you would love nothing better than to keep her home, Bronson. But we need to think about her future!”

“Why not send her to school, dad? You sent me. What’s the difference?” Surprisingly, Finigan jumped in on the conversation. 

“I don’t want to send her to school. There will be time later if she wants to go.” Bronson answered them. 

“Most boarding schools are only for 11 to 18 year olds, dad. You wait too late, she’ll be going to college. Then she might not want to come back home.” Fin looked over at Elise. She was watching him curiously.

“Bronson, if she doesn’t start when she’s 11, it’s going to be harder for her to make friends. Most of the friendships are formed that first year and last all through school!” Lucille told him. 

“She’s not going to school yet. Is that clear?” Bronson gritted, angry that both Finigan and Lucille appeared to be ganging up on him. 

“You sent ME to school right after you had HER. Now SHE gets to stay home with the baby? What now? Are you going to send ME away again?!” Finigan snapped angrily as he stood up and walked out, ignoring Lucille holding her arms out for Hermione. Elise’s eyes widened in sudden understanding. Before Lucille could stop her, she jumped up and ran out behind him. 

Bronson and Lucille looked at one another. “You know, he has a point. We did rather abruptly send him away right after we had Elise. When you and I first began courting, you didn’t want him to get his hopes up. You waited until we were already married, then sprang me on the boy. We had to learn about each other as I was carrying Elise. I tried my best and I think he did, too. But there was also shock and hurt on his part. First, that you wouldn’t introduce us earlier. Second, that he was given no choice about a new mother or sister.” Lucille told him. 

“You know why I didn’t want him to get his hopes up. I told you about his mother leaving us! He blames me for that, you know. Of course, he has reason to. His mother and I fought horribly and things sometimes escalated. She got tired of the fighting and left. She actually wanted to take him away from me! I told her ‘leave if you want to, but my son stays with me!’ and she left, just like that. No more arguing over him or anything.” Bronson shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t like thinking about his first marriage.

Lucille sighed and leaned forward as she argued her point. “But don’t you see? That’s why he resents me and Elise, to a smaller extent. He wasn’t given a choice about it. He was just abruptly introduced to his father’s new bride and told he was going to be a big brother. There was no adjustment period. No time for him to get used to having a stepmother nor me to get used to having a stepson. I was so sick the first few months that I carried Elise and then bedridden for the rest of the pregnancy. There was very little time for us to bond. Then she was here and we were sending him to school. It must have felt, to him, like we were exiling him from everything he knew.” Lucille had never, until Finigan’s angry words, thought about the situation from HIS point of view. Now she could see why she’d had so much trouble getting to know him once he was older and home from school.

“All right. I made a mistake with him. A big mistake. Are you happy now? That still doesn’t mean that we’re sending Elise to school.” Bronson conceded. Lucille rubbed her temples. He was only seeing it from Finigan’s point of view. He didn’t want Elise to grow up resenting Hermione as Finigan had grown up resenting Elise. He was COMPLETELY ignoring the curse! 

Elise went out the door after Finigan. When she finally caught up with him, he was sitting in the front porch swing, comforting Hermione who had started crying at his raised voice. He had her snuggled up under his chin and was patting her back. Elise approached warily. 

“Finigan? Is it true? They sent you away because of me? Is that why you hate me?” she asked softly. He closed his eyes and sighed. 

“I don’t hate you, Elise. I do resent being sent away, though. But it wasn’t your fault. You were just a baby. You had no more choice in it than me. I’m sorry about taking it out on you all these years.” He raised his right arm up. “Come here.” She ran over and sat beside him. He tucked her securely into his right side as they both comforted the baby. They didn’t see Missy as she slowly approached the house. She stood there, observing them, then left without making her presence known. 

Lucille put on her shopping bonnet as she prepared to leave. Stepping out on the porch, she wished she knew how to paint or at least draw. It was a pretty picture she was seeing. She wasn’t sure if it was because Hermione was Candy’s little sister and Finigan sensed that connection deep down or whether it was simply because she was helpless and depending on him to keep her safe. Maybe it was a bit of both theories. But he seemed more open and approachable now. He had even thawed toward Elise. 

“Marriage law. That’s what you need to do. It might not save any of the current crop of 21 year olds. But it may be able to save future children. If Finigan is matched with young Missy and he can learn to love her as much as he seems to already love Hermione, there might be hope. I can teach you the ritual and incantation of how to lift the curse.” Hazel materialized at her side as they observed the young man holding both girls in his arms.


	4. The Curse kicks in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn’s true motivations towards Consuela and Candy are revealed! Marriage Law is mentioned! Finigan makes his apologies. The Curse of Elaventon kicks in, taking its first two victims.
> 
> A/N: This is one of the hardest chapters I've written since the death scene in Vice: the original! I ugly cried so much I didn't think I was going to be able to finish it!

“Marriage Law? Marriage-! Are you crazy, Lucille?! You can’t make the young men get married!” Bronson snapped at her.

“Not even if it will save their lives? That would be a big motivation right there! I’m not talking about this year’s 21 year olds. Their birthdays are coming up too fast to stop the curse. Unless they already have young ladies they’ve been courting. I know a young woman who would be a great match with Finigan.”

“For crying out loud, Lucille, I’m telling you, THERE IS NO CURSE! How many times must I tell you?!” Bronson growled angrily. 

“No curse? Alright. We’ll do it your way. Elise and four of her friends turn 11 in the span of the next four months. Finigan and three of his friends turn 21 the next four months. We’ll go your way and SEE what happens. If they don’t die, all’s well. No curse. If they all die, you WILL want to enact this marriage law or this town will cease to exist in the next few years!” Lucille shook her head at how stubborn he was being. 

She walked out of his office and went home. As she ascended to the porch, she was surprised to see Missy on the porch. Looking around, she realized Finigan was nowhere in sight. ‘This was the perfect chance to talk to her.’ She smiled and motioned to the swing. “Please, sit down.” She sat down and waited until Missy was seated. 

“I came to tell Finigan goodbye. I’m leaving town. My aunt lives in the next town and nobody knows me there. I’ll be able to be Michelle Sullivan again instead of Missy the whore. I was going to tell him the other day but the little girl was with him.” Missy told her quietly. 

“Missy, I understand that you want to get away from here but Finigan needs you. He doesn’t realize it but he really does need you. I wanted to talk to you anyway. Did you and Finigan meet in the saloon or did you already know each other?” she asked her just as quietly. 

Missy dropped her head in shame. “We met in the saloon. He was my first customer. Once he started visiting me, everyone pretty much left me alone. They knew that I ‘belonged’ to Fin. My father basically sold me to Mr. Huntley. He had a bar tab, he and my brother. They couldn’t pay it and Mr. Huntley was threatening to close it and cut them off. They’d already been closed out of several other saloons. They told him I’d make him more than enough money to keep their tab open.”

Lucille closed her eyes and held the girl close. “I’m so sorry, dear. If I can help you in any way, please let me know. I don’t suppose you’d consider staying for Fin?”

“I think my time with Fin is over, ma’am. The last night we were together, it was as if he was telling me goodbye then. He hasn’t been by the saloon in about a week. Normally, he’s down there every night.” Lucille’s eyes widened. ‘A week! That’s the same amount of time they’d had Hermione!’ 

Fin had taken to the child faster than she’d thought possible. He carried her everywhere and had basically taken her into his own care. He’d even begun to play with Elise. They had little tea parties every evening and he walked her to and from school every day. Lucille was glad now that she had trusted Hazel that first morning with Hermione and Fin.

As luck would have it, Fin chose that moment to come out of the house. It was almost time to walk Elise home from school. He held Hermione in his arms, wrapped in a shawl against the slight chill of the afternoon breeze. His eyes narrowed as he saw Missy sitting in the swing with her. 

“Well. I think you two have some things to talk about. Fin, why don’t you take Missy with you today? I’ll keep Hermione until you get back. All right?” Lucille asked. Fin heaved a sigh as he reluctantly handed the baby over to his stepmother. He and Missy walked out of the yard and headed to the school. 

“What’s going on, Missy? Why are you here?” he asked. She looked at him sadly.

“Was that goodbye, last week? It felt like it.” She told him. He looked at her. 

“What if it was, Missy? Things were getting twisted with us anyway, remember?” he reminded her.

“The tying up and roughing up? Calling me that little girl’s name? Her turning up dead the next day? That last night, you coming by, being so tender? Yes, it was getting twisted. And it did feel like you were saying goodbye. I guess I should have just gone ahead and left, then.” She looked down. 

“I guess you should have. There’s nothing left here for you.” Fin told her. He’d liked her. He really had. Unfortunately, her main appeal had been her youth and her slight resemblance to Candy. Once Candy was gone, Fin could no longer bring himself to go visit Missy. She had been his substitute Candy. 

“I’m going to take a lucky guess and say if that little girl hadn’t been killed, she would have been a child bride. You were waiting for her to get old enough, weren’t you?” Missy asked. 

Fin smiled. “Yeah. A couple more years and she would have been of age. Her sister got pushy, though, and messed up everything.”

“So you weren’t sleeping with the older sister?” Missy asked in disbelief. 

“God, no! Why would I sleep with her when I was waiting for her little sister to grow up? I don’t know who she was actually sleeping with. He caught a break, though, and it landed ME in hot water!” Fin scoffed at her.

“If you loved her that much, why are rumors swirling that you AND your friends had their way with her?” Missy asked curiously, just to see if he would actually admit what they all suspected. 

“Heat of the moment. Mob mentality. Anger at her sister. Excitement at finally having my chance with her. You name it.” He shrugged. “No need to set the law on me, either, Missy. I’ll be dead in three months.”

“What? Why?” she asked, shocked at how easily he’d admitted his guilt.

“If you heard that rumor, then you surely heard the rest of it, too. Don’t play dumb, Missy. We both know how smart you are. The curse. That woman, her mother, the witch laid a curse on this town and me in particular. I was the reason we were even there that night. I was the first one to have Candy and I was the one who caused all three of them to be killed!” he shuddered, remembering his sadness at watching Candy burn. 

Missy sighed. His admission had just made it harder to tell him what she needed to say. “Finigan, I need to tell you something. Please don’t be angry at me. You know the saloon girls are required to take precautions that we don’t have any little ‘consequences’ from our jobs? After the last bad night we had, I didn’t think I’d see you anymore. That very last night, you caught me off guard and, well, there were consequences. I’m carrying your child. I was going to leave town without telling you. But then I thought, maybe, just maybe, there might be a chance for us. I see now that I was wrong. Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone what you’ve told me.” She wiped away a tear.

“Actually, you can tell my stepmother.” He caught her arm, pulling her to a stop. They were just out of sight of the schoolhouse. “I want my child to have my name. I might not love you. I know you don’t love me, either. But I want to give my child a last name. We can live at my parents’ house. You’ll be good company for Lucille. She and father will take care of you and the baby after I’m gone.”

“But, Fin, are you sure? I-.” Missy threw her arms around him in relief. She’d been so afraid he’d reject her outright. He was right. She didn’t love him nor did he love her. He was willing to take responsibility for his child, though. That was all she’d hoped for when she’d made the decision to tell him, after all.

They went on and collected Elise from school. Fin told her the news and gave her permission to be the one to tell her mother. She was jumping for joy as she hugged both him and Missy. Fin and Missy walked behind her into the house, arm in arm. They found Lucille in the living room, rocking Hermione to sleep. 

“Mother! Mother! Guess what? Fin’s getting married. He and Missy are getting married, mother! Isn’t it great? She can have tea parties with me now and Fin won’t have to pour his water into the plants anymore.” Elise giggled. Fin covered his face as he laughed. He didn’t think she’d even seen him doing that! 

Lucille smiled. It was a start. She could tell neither of them loved each other. With any hope, though, they could at least feel affectionate towards one another. It wouldn’t be enough to save either him or Elise. Hazel had promised to help her lift the horrific death off of him, though, if he showed he could love someone besides himself. With Hermione and Elise, he had more than proved himself. Now to learn the ritual and incantation. 

The next day, she went back to Hazel’s house. It just seemed right to try and counter a curse where it had originated from. She swept the floor in front of the fireplace, chopped the herbs she had collected and mixed them into the kettle. She lit a fire using the green wood she had found. As the kettle heated up, she added water to the pot. The herbs grew hot and began to send up trails of steam. She let the fire die and took the kettle down to the floor. Hazel appeared on the other side. She directed her to light up four candles, three white and a black one in the center. Then she scooped a dipper full of herbs onto a cloth in the middle of the candles. “Now, Lucille, repeat this phrase three times. Evil Be Gone! Then wrap the herbs in the cloth, tightly!”

“Evil Be Gone! Evil Be Gone! Evil Be Gone!” Lucille repeated, then she wrapped the cloth tightly around the herbs. 

“Put the cloth into the kettle. Let it sit until the rest of the herbs soak up into it. It won’t take long. Then we can finish the ritual.” Hazel told her. They watched as the herbs soaked up all the juice in the pot. Then Hazel directed her to spread more herbs across the top and set the whole thing aflame. 

“Now I invoke the ancient gods of old. With these words, I hereby lift the burden of horrifying death off the shoulders of Finigan O’Malley. So mote it be. So mote it be.” Hazel intoned seriously. Lucille felt a weight lift off of her own shoulders. He would still die but at least he might die peacefully. 

“Thank you, Hazel. I know he did you wrong. I know Bronson did you wrong but thank you. Finigan is still young enough to admit he was wrong. He loves Hermione so much, Hazel. He takes her everywhere with him. He’s actually taken over her care. He’s turned into a loving young father.” She said. 

Hazel smiled. “I know. I’ve been watching him closely. It’s the only reason I lifted part of the curse. It was the only part of the curse I COULD lift. Unless he leaves town, though, he will still die. Elise will also, unless she is out of town.”

“I know. I’ve tried to get Bronson to declare a marriage law but he refuses. He says there is no NEED. He also refuses to allow me to send Elise out of town to school. Finigan has even tried to help me talk him into sending her to school. I’ve tried to get Finigan to leave town. He refuses. He says it’s his fault the town is under a curse. He won’t leave and let the town suffer while he gets off scot-free. Nothing works. He’s just as stubborn as the old goat!” Lucille blew out an exasperated breath. 

“He’ll learn, my dear friend, he’ll see the error of his ways. Young Finigan isn’t nearly as bad as he made himself out to be that night. He was just overzealous about Candita. I would have allowed him to court her, in time. I didn’t realize that Consuela lied to ME about Finigan. Like him, I still don’t know who she was actually with. She was in the family way, though. Of that, there was no doubt.” Hazel told Lucille. 

“In fact, Finigan was probably more in the right that night than Consuela. He claimed she tried to trick him into marriage and I think he was actually right about that. The more I think about the events of that night, the more I can only conclude that his only wrongdoing was Candy. Even then, he was just a little bit too overzealous. I don’t think he even wanted to kill us. That, I’m pretty sure, was entirely the older men. The youngsters wanted to keep having fun with the girls. He would have made the rest of them leave Candy alone. He seems to have really loved her.” Hazel tipped her head. 

“Yes. Missy is certain that she was only a stand in for Candy. She said there were nights he would visit her and never call her by her own name. They’re getting married soon. He’s going to be a father. He’s not too anxious to be married but he wants his child to have his name. Right now, he’s more interested in taking care of Hermione and Elise. He’s just as anxious as I am to get her father talked into sending her out of town.” Lucille told her. Hazel smiled. The more she learned of young Finigan, the more she regretted laying the curse on him. It was sounding more and more evident that the curse should have been limited to his father. She mourned the lost chance to get to know him. He sounded like he would have been a perfect match for her little Candy. 

Back home, Lucille didn’t mention what she’d done to either Finigan or Bronson. Fin because he was already so overwhelmed with guilt over Elise suffering the consequences of HIS crime. Bronson because SHE wanted him to suffer!

She and Missy planned a small beautiful ceremony right there at the house. She was sure it wasn’t the ceremony Missy would like to have had. But this wasn’t a love match and neither of them felt like having a large wedding. The important thing to them was the baby would be born in wedlock. 

She was getting more and more worried with every passing day. Elise’s birthday was getting closer and Bronson wasn’t relenting. It was now a little less than a month until she turned 11. Finigan had taken to keeping Elise and Hermione both with him as much as possible. It was as though he was trying to cram ten years’ worth of attention into the short amount he and Elise had left. Missy didn’t attempt to interfere with them in any way. She just let him know she was there if he wanted to see her. They were able to develop an affectionate relationship. Had they had more time, it possibly might have developed into a loving relationship. Unfortunately, time was not on their side. 

The day dawned bright and beautiful. It happened so gradually that nobody realized what was going on. Elise woke up with a sore throat and a cough. They thought it was merely a summer cold. Lucille mixed up a potion that had always worked in the past. It did nothing this time. And Elise was getting weaker and weaker.

Finigan was the first one to realize what was happening. It was her 11th birthday. The curse hadn’t specified when or how she would die, only that she wouldn’t live past her 11th birthday and it was all his fault. For once, he let Lucille and his father take charge of Hermione, whom he had as good as adopted as his own. He stayed right beside Elise, keeping her covered up warmly. It was here that Elise asked him what had opened that night and he decided she deserved the truth. After all, that night was why she was now dying. The least he could do was tell her why her death was his fault. 

“Fin, that night, at Candy’s, what happened? I know something did. Why were their clothes on the ground?” she asked. Fin sighed. He really didn’t want to tell her. She would go to her grave hating him. But he had to tell her. 

“We did something evil that night, Elise. It started out bad and got worse. Candy’s sister had tried to get me to marry her. I wasn’t about to. I already had in mind who I was going to marry and it wasn’t her. I told dad and a whole group of us went over there. We dragged them out and accused Candy and Connie of being witches. It was only Hazel who was the witch. We,” he closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. “Ripped their clothes off of them. We hurt them very badly, especially Candy. Then we tied them to those stakes and burned them. Hazel cursed us while she was burning. Candy and Connie had already passed out by then. I’m so sorry, baby girl, so sorry. This, you suffering, it’s all because of me.” 

“Candy was always nervous around you. She knew that you watched her all the time.” Elise told him.

“Yes. I did. In a few more years, when Candy came of age, I was going to start courting her. It just wasn’t our time.” Fin muttered. There were tears shining brightly in his eyes. “I was a little too eager to get my hands on Candy and you’re paying the price for my own stupid actions. But I’ll get my punishment for hurting her.”

“Don’t worry about me, Fin. I’ll wait for you.” Elise told him tiredly. He smiled a watery smile.

“I don’t think that will work. I’ve been too wicked to go up, baby girl, I’ll more than likely be going down.” He told her.

“If you go down, I’m going down. I’ll tell them I’m not going in without my big brother!” Elise teased him. She got a little chuckle out of him. 

“Ok, darling, you find somewhere to sit down and wait for me. I’ll be there shortly.” He watched as she took her last breath. Finigan silently cursed his father for being such a stubborn, old goat. Tears streamed down his face as his little sister, Elise O’Malley, became the first child to fall victim to the Curse of Elaventon. 

Lucille and Bronson were standing in the doorway behind him. Watching the brokenhearted young man cradle his little sister was more than Lucille could bear. She fled back to her room, sobbing as she clutched Hermione to her. Bronson stood there in shock. He couldn’t believe his little girl was dead. She’d been as healthy as could be just the day before. He walked over and almost fell into the chair on the opposite side of Finigan. Fin raised his head and stared at his father. 

“NOW. NOW do you believe the curse is real, father?” he snarled at him, still holding Elise. That night, he went to Missy and spent the whole night with her. Something he hadn’t done since their wedding night. 

After Elise died, Finigan started going downhill fast. He seemed to lose interest in everything except caring for Hermione. He all but stopped eating and soon was just a thin skeleton of the healthy boy he’d always been. He lavished all his attention on Hermione. They began finding him in the most random spots in the house. Telling her all about Elise and Candy. How beautiful they’d been, how sweet they’d been. How Elise had loved her so much. How much Candy would have loved her. 

In the weeks leading up to his birthday, Finigan showed them all what a loving young father he would have turned out to be, had he not invoked a witch’s curse upon himself. Soon it was his birthday. He started out in the porch swing, still telling Hermione about Candy, just Candy. How sweet she was, how much he’d enjoyed seeing her with Elise every day. How much he’d looked forward to courting her until Consuela had changed that picture. Then he disappeared.

Finigan was drawn to Elise’s room. He walked in, laid down and settled Hermione beside him. He knew his time was drawing near. Soon it would be his turn to go. He told Hermione how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be there to watch her grow up. But Elise needed him. He told her to be a good girl for Missy and Lucille and give his father hell for him. He told her how much she would have loved Candy, too. 

Suddenly, he saw the outline of Candy, laying there beside him. She was watching him in wonder and awe. “Candy. I’m sorry. I was wrong to do what I did. I stole something from you that night. A precious gift that should have been yours to bestow, not mine to rip away from you. It’s unforgivable, what I did. But don’t worry, I’ll be receiving my punishment soon.” Looking between her and Hermione, he finally realized why he’d been so drawn to the child, right from the start. “You and Hermione. You’re sisters, aren’t you?” she smiled and nodded. She looked at her mother without speaking. 

“Your punishment is death, Finigan. But it’s as easy as falling asleep. It’s time, young man. Just close your eyes, child, and fall asleep.” Fin obediently closed his eyes. Candy reached out, laying her hand on his hollowed out cheek. With that soft, gentle touch, Fin’s heart stopping beating. Hermione Rose O’Malley began crying loudly. Finigan O’Malley became the second victim of the Curse of Elaventon. 

Lucille was steeling herself for his death. She knew that Bronson was still trying desperately to deny that there was a curse. He refused to make any kind of announcement. He didn’t want to give in and admit that their small town might soon be in trouble. She, Missy and Bronson were in the sitting room, searching the house for Fin when they heard Hermione crying. They followed the sobs of the infant all the way to Elise’s room. There, they found Finigan laying on Elise’s bed, Hermione laying inside his curled up arms. He was dead. 

Missy began screaming as Lucille tried to calm her down. Once again, Bronson stood in shock, at the death of his seemingly healthy son. Now he couldn’t deny it. His 11 year old daughter and his 21 year old son, as healthy as anything, were now both dead, no injuries, no illnesses, no nothing. They were just dead.


End file.
